Bathtub hoist device

ABSTRACT

A BATHTUB HOIST DEVICE COMPRISING LIFT MEANS INCLUDING A SUPPORT FOR MOTOR DRIVE MEANS AND STARTER MEANS FOR THE MOTOR MEANS WHICH CAN BE OPERATED BY A PERSON USING THE LIFT, AND SEAT MEANS DETACHABLY CONNECTED TO BAR SUPPORT MEANS, SAID BAR SUPPORT MEANS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO A FIXED MEMBER, AND CABLE MEANS DISPOSED ON DRUM MEANS AND CONNECTED TO SAID BAR MEANS FOR LOWERING AND RAISING SAID BAR MEANS AND THE SEAT MEANS DETACHABLY CONNECTED THERETO.

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United States Patent Office 3,579,660 BATHTUB HIST DEVICE Willard H. Whitaker, 314 W. Tate St., Corinth, Miss. 38834 Filed Sept. 6, 1968, Ser. No. 758,052

Int. Cl. A47k 3/12 U.S. Cl. 4-185 3 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A bathtub hoist device comprising lift means including a support for motor drive means and starter means for the motor means Iwhich can be operated by a Iperson using the lift, and seat means detachably connected to bar support means, said bar support means being pivotally connected to a fixed member, and cable means disposed on drum means and connected to said bar means for lowering and raising said bar means and the seat means detachably connected thereto.

The present invention relates to a self-operated lift and more particularly to a lift that is utilized in connection with a person who is to take a bath in the bathtub and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to pro-vide a selfoperated lift to raise and lower a person into a bathtub, as distinguished from lifting a person over the bathtub rim so as to remove them from the bathtub or so as to lift them into the bathtub from the adjacent floor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-operated lift which has a chair portion or a seat means which is detachably connected to bar means, which bar means are pivotally connected at one end to a fixed member in a wall and the like, and to provide flexible cable means that are attached to the bar means adjacent the opposite end from -which the bar means is pivoted, which flexible cable means are adapted to be wound and unrvound from drum means operatively connected to drifve means, which drive means are provided with cord means so as to be started and stopped at the command of the person using the seat means.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a lift means in which the seat means embodied therein can be disconnected or easily removed from the bar means when the person has been lowered into a bathtub so as not to interfere with bathing of the person.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a lift means for use in a bathtub having t-wo arm means pivoted at their bottom ends and raised and lowered at their upper ends lwhich carry a seat means, and in which the seat means are raised and lowered by the hoist winch.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a lift means for use in a bathtub rwhich fwill Ilot interfere with the use of the bathtub or the fixtures in a bathtub by others not desiring to use the hoist.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a bathtub hoist device that can be made in an inexpensive and simplified manner.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bathtub hoist comprising two spaced apart pivoted arms -which lift or lower a seat and in which the arms are connected to windlasses, rather than the conventional I-bearn chain hoist.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description, Iwhen considered in connection 'with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the bathtub hoist embodied in the present invention;

3,579,660 Patented May 25, 1971 FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the bathtub hoist illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an end sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the hoist or bathtub lift device of the present invention, Iwhich device is provided with an upper substantially horizontal frame 12, |which includes two spaced longitudinal members 14, which are preferably tubular and have their opposite ends fixed to or secured to the walls 16 of the bathtub and shower structure. The tubular members 14 are further provided with two transversely extending members 18 to which is secured a horizontal platform 20. The platform 20 has secured thereto an electric motor 22 with switch means 24 operatively connected to the motor and two flexible drop cords or cables 26 with handles on the lower ends thereof for controlling the switch means 24.

The electric motor 22 is coupled at 28 to a reduction gear box mechanism 30. The gear box mechanism in turn is connected by a sprocket chain 32 to a drum shaft 34 having two spaced apart drums 36 thereon for rotation of the drums.

The two drums 36 are adapted to reel up and unreel a pair of spaced apart lift ropes or cables 38 which are preferably made of nylon with a maximum load limit of approximately 2,000 pounds each.

The lower ends of the cables 38 are secured to the outer ends 40 0f a pair of spaced bar members 42.

The bar members or arms 42 are tubular and have their inner ends, indicated at 44, pivo-tally connected to a fixed wall support 46.

The outer ends 40 of the bar members are turned downwardly at a angle with respect to the horizontal portion of the bar members, as indicated at 48. The lower ends of the turned down portions J/ are furtherZ ends of the turned down portions 48 are further provided with spools or pulleys 50 thereon, over which are disposed slings of flexible rope 52, preferably made of nylon, and supporting a horizontal nylon seat 54 at their lower ends. The bar members 42 are disposed so as to permit the seat 54 to extend downwardly into the bottom of a conventional tub 56 disposed between the walls 16.

Referring to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the upper ends of the cables 38 are secured to the drums 34 so that the cables 38 are diagonally inclined when the bar members 42 and the seat 54 are disposed in the lowermost position. It lwill be noted, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 2, that the cables 38 can lift the bar members 42 to their uppermost position, at which time the seat 54 is completely out of the interior of the tub 56, so that it will not interfere with a person desiring to use the tub and not utilizing the hoist lift device of the present invention.

When it is desired to utilize the hoist device of the present invention, the Water is prepared and then the person who is to take a bath steps over the upper edge of the tub 56 and places himself between the bar members or arms 42 and hooks the seat 54 into position.

At this time, the two starter switch cords 26 that control the switch means are just in front of the person. One of these cords 26 is used to lower the cables 38 and the seat 54, or in other words, to unreel the cables from the drums, while the other cord is used to lift the bar members 42 and to reel up the cables 38 onto the drums. The switch mechanism is a standard drum type reversing type.

The seat height is adjusted by lowering or raising the lift so that the person can sit on the seat 54 in a standing position. Thereafter, the proper cord 26 is pulled so as to lower a party seated on the seat, into the water. 

